Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units

by Marco Mattioli, Richard Caruana (Illustrator), Mark Postlethwaite (Illustrator)

Overview

Italy's Sparviero (Sparrowhawk) saw combat with the Regia Aeronautica in France, Yugoslavia, Greece, North Africa, East Africa and in the Mediterranean versus the Royal Navy. Italy's most successful wartime bomber, the S.79 was also the most produced, with around 1370 built between 1936 and early 1944. Initially developed by Savoia-Marchetti as a transport aircraft it had evolved into a dedicated medium bomber by the time the S.79-I made its combat debut with the Aviazione Legionaria in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The manufacturer then produced the S.79-II torpedo-bomber, fitted with 1000 hp Piaggio or Fiat radial engines in place of the original 780 hp Alfa Romeos. Entering service in 1939, the S.79-II saw much action over the next four years, particularly in its intended torpedo-bomber role against the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. Indeed, the Sparviero crews tasked with targeting Allied shipping became national heroes in Italy thanks to their exploits, with men such as Buscaglia, Graziani, Erasi, Faggioni, Di Bella, Aichner and Cimicchi being as revered as fighter aces in other countries. Following Italy's surrender in September 1943, a large number of S.79s continued to see action against the Allies with the pro-German RSI, although they suffered heavy losses. This is the first of two proposed volumes on the S.79, the second book detailing its use as a bomber and transport.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782008071
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/21/2014
Series:	Combat Aircraft , #106
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

A native of Rome, Marco Mattioli has been interested in military history since he was a teenager. In 1992 he joined the Italian National Journalist Order, and was employed as a writer for several leading Italian history publishers. A contributor to many Italian history and defence magazines, as well as the author of several books on Italian military history, he wrote Aviation Elite Units 38 53° Stormo and Combat Aircraft 106 Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Torpedo-Bomber Units for Osprey.

Richard Caruana is a Malta-based artist whose profile artwork is well known, and respected, in aviation modelling periodicals such as Scale Aviation Modelling and Scale Models. He has illustrated all of Osprey Aviation's Italian World War 2 titles.

Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 100 of its books.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Chapter 1 1940-The Beginning 7

Chapter 2 1941-Torpedo-Bombers Come of Age 13

Chapter 3 1942 - A Year of Battles 29

Chapter 4 1943-Year of Destiny 67

Chapter 5 Sparvieri to the North 80

Appendices 88

Colour Plates Commentary 91

Index 96